Northridge hopeful fourth levy attempt will pass

JOHNSTOWN - Over the last few months Northridge Board of Education President Doug Hart has seen people's opinion change about the district's upcoming levy.

Now the district must wait and see if enough people will support it May 8.

Northridge Local Schools is attempting to pass a combined bond issue and income tax levy to build a new elementary school and pay for other building improvements in the district.

"I’m not hearing anybody say we don’t need it, and that wasn’t what I was hearing when we first started the process," Hart said. "I think there’s been a lot of people who have figured out, yeah it really is needed."

This is Northridge's fourth attempt to pass a levy since November 2016. Voters have soundly rejected the levy in the past three attempts.

District Superintendent Scott Schmidt said he has met with dozens of district residents over the last few months explaining the district's need to replace the 96 year old Northridge Primary School. He said people have a better understanding of the district's needs and believe the levy is doable.

"We seem to have a very positive energy around things and an agreement that we do definitely need a new building and now is the right time for the new building," Schmidt said.

This time the district is seeking a 2.8 mill bond issue to generate $15.5 million over 30 years and a 0.5 percent earned income tax to bring in $1 million a year for the same time period. Social Security, pensions or other types of retirement income are not considered earned income and would not be taxed.

The money from the bond will go toward the new elementary school, plus interest payments on the bond. The earned income tax revenue will go toward maintaining Northridge's school buildings.

The bond issue would cost property owners $98 per $100,000 in assessed value once collection started in 2019. The district has a bond issue in place for Northridge High School, but the $86 homeowners pay per $100,000 home value will drop off at the end of the year. This means the new levy would cost homeowners $12 more per $100,000 home value, Schmidt said.

The district is planning for a kindergarten through fifth grade building that would replace Northridge Primary School and the Northridge Intermediate School, which consists of multiple modular units.

Hart said he is no longer hearing people negatively talking about the project.

"I think they realize we’re not trying to build a Taj Mahal," he said. "We’re trying to build a reasonable building."

Hart hopes the less negativity translates to more yes votes.

"There seem to be more yes signs popping up in different places and not the chorus of no's that we had before," he said.